Cable clamp



v,Mau-ah 8:, 1938. o, F. TALLMAN CABLE CLAMP Filed Aug. 10, 1956 VNNPatented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES CABLE CLADIP Oscar F. Tallman, St.

Louis, Mo., assigner to James R. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., acorporation of Missouri Application August 1o, 1936, serial No. 95,191

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to cable clamps, and more specificallyto cable clamps of the type adapted for permanently supporting anelectric cable, as for dead-ending such a cable, the pre- 5 dominantobject of the invention being to provide a cable clamp of this typewhich, though of extremely simple and inexpensive construction performsits intended function in a highly eflicient manner.

There has been for some time a demand for a simple clamping device whichwould permanently support, as for purposes of dead-ending, an insulatedelectric cable. The gripping effect of such a clamping device should becommensurate 1. with the strength of the cable and yet serve itsintended purpose without damaging the protective insulation surroundingthe one or more conductors within the protective insulation. Some of theclamps now available to the trade are un 9.0 satisfactory in failing tofully meet these requirements, while others of the available clamps areundesirable because their complex nature renders them quite expensive tomanufacture.

The prime purpose of this invention is to pro- $5 duce a clamp of thetype mentioned, which is of extremely simple and inexpensiveconstruction and which, in spite of its simple and inexpensiveconstruction, performs its intended function in a highly eicient manner.

Fig. l is a side elevation of the improved cable clamp showing same asit appears when in use, a part of the clamp being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cable clamp and associated parts shown inFig. 1, a part of the 35, anchoring means being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, inverted plan view of the improved cable clampas shown in Fig. 1, with a fragment of an electric cable associatedtherewith in clamped relation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

In the drawing, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration,merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improvedcab-le clamp generally. The cable clamp A comprises a pair ofcable-gripping elements I and 2 formed of sheet metal or other suitablematerial, which, when the clamp is in use, engage the cable B that issupported by the clamp in gripping relation 50I with respect thereto.When viewed in cross-section the gripping element I is of substantiallyinverted V-shaped formation as shown in Fig. 4, and at each side edge ofsaid gripping element I a pair of spaced, laterally extended portions is55V provided which are shaped and formed to pro- Vil Vide eyes, the eyesat one side edge of the gripping element I being designated by thereference characters 3 and 4 and the eyes at the opposite side edge ofsaid gripping element being designated by the reference characters 5 and6. It is to be noted that the forward edge of the gripping element i isared slightly, as indicated at I', while the lower portions of the eyes3, t, 5, and of said gripping element are similarly flared at theirforward and rear ends, as indicated at 'I.

The gripping element 2, when viewed in crosssection, is of V-shapedformation, and said gripping element 2 is provided at each side edgewith a pair of laterally extended portions which are shaped andformed toprovide eyes, the eyes at one side edge of the element 2 beingdesignated by the reference characters 8 and S, whilethose at theopposite side edge of said element are designated by the referencecharactersy I@ and I I.

It is to be noted that the eyes of the gripping element i are curvedupwardly from the side edges of said element, while the eyes f thegripping element 2 are curved downwardly from the side edges of saidelement 2. Also, as is shown clearly in Fig. 4, the eyes and 6 at oneside of the gripping element I and the eyes I0 and I I at thecorresponding side edge of the gripping element 2 are substantiallyclosed, while the eyes 3, 4, 8, and 9 at the opposite side edges of thegripping elements I and 2 are open. It is to be noted that the forward,lower portion of the gripping element 2 is ared and that the oppositeend portions of the eyes of said gripping element 2 are also flared. f

Associated with the gripping elements I and 2 is a exible, metalliccable I2, one end of which is secured to the eye 6 of the grippingelement I. This attachment of the cable i2 to the eye I may b`eaccomplished in various ways; for instance, the end of the cable mayhave attached to it a head element in the form of a sleeve i2@ having aange 21 at one end which contacts with an end face of the eye 6, andsaid eye may be forced into clamping relation with respect to said headelement. From the eye t the cable I2 extends forwardly and downwardly toand through the eye I I of the gripping element 2, from said eye IIupwardly and forwardly to and through the eye 5 of the gripping elementl, and from the eye 5 downwardly and forwardly to and through the eye l0of the gripping element 2. From the eye I0 the cable extends forwardlyand then rearwardly to form an elongated loop, the return side of whichpasses through the eye 8 of the gripping element 2, then rearwardly andupwardly to and through the eye 3 of the gripping element I, thendownwardly and rearwardly to and through the eye 9 of the grippingelement 2 and upwardly and rearwardly to the eye 4 of the grippingelement I. The end of the exible cable I2 which is associated with theeye 4 of the gripping element I has secured thereto a head element I3provided with a llange I3' at its rear end. The head element I3 isdisposed within the eye 4 and the flange contacts withthe rear edge ofsaid eye so that the flexible cable may not be pulled'from said eye.

It is important to note that the flexible cable may move slidinglythrough all of the eyes of the gripping elements other than the eyes 4and 6 of the gripping element I. Also it is ob,- vious that the flexiblecable is conflned for such sliding movement within the closed eyes 5,ID,

and II, so that said flexible cable may not be displaced from'said eyesWhilesaid flexible cable may be moved into and out of the eyes 3, 8, and9 through their open mouths, as shown in Fig. 4, wherein the eyes 5 andIl) are shown closed While the eyes 3 and 8 are illustrated as beingopen to permit passage Vof the flexible cable transversely into and outof said eyes 3 and 8. 'Ihe eye 4 of the gripping element I is also open,as already stated herein, Aand therefore the flexible cable may bepassed intosaid eye through the open mouth thereof, as already explainedin connection with the eyes 3, 8, and 9. When the flexible cable is tobe introduced into the eye 4, the

head I3 is drawn rearwardly of said eye and the flexible cable is passedtransversely thereinto through the open mouth of the eye. 'I'he flexiblecable is then drawn forwardly so as to draw the head I3 into the eye 4and the flange I3 ofV said head into contact with the rear edge of saideye.

In order to attach the improved cable clamp A to a support S,a'substantially U-shaped bracket I4 is employed which is secured to saidsupport by a suitable fastening device I5. A pin I6 is passed throughapertures formed through the spaced legs of the bracket I4, and this pinextends through and is engaged by the outer end of the elongatedloopproduced by the flexible cable I2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In applying the improved cable clamp to an electric cable the flexiblecable I2 is withdrawn from the eyes 3, 8, and 9, and the end of theflexible cable is detached from the eye 4 by withdrawing the head I3from said eye. This permits the gripping elements I and 2 to be spreadapart at one side of the device so that the device may be p-assedlaterally onto the electric cable in such position that the grippingelement I is in contact with the top portion of the elec-V tric cableand the gripping element 2 in contact with the lower portion of saidelectric cable.

The flexible cable is then arranged in the eyes 3, 8, and 9 in themanner already described, and the end of the flexible cable is attachedto the eye 4vthrough the instrumentality of the head I3. 'Ille cuter endof the elongated loop produced by the flexible cable I2 is then extendedstraight line position under the tensional strain applied thereto, andtherefore the electric cable will be very tightly gripped by the cableclamp. An important characteristic of the improved cable clamp is thatthe gripping action between the elements I and 2 and the electric cableis ln direct proportion to the extent of the tensional strain applied tothe flexible cable I2, hence increased pull by the electric cableresults in increased gripping action by the clamp, which effectivelyprevents slippage of the electric cable with respect to the clamp.Attention is directed to the fact that the flared, forward ends of thegripping elements I and 2 and the flared portions of the eyes preventcutting of the electric `cable and of the flexible cable by sharp edgesof said gripping elements and eyes.

If desired, the gripping element 2 may be provided with transverse,inwardly extended ribs I'I which bite into the insulation of theelectric cable B and thus increase the gripping action of said grippingelement.

By providing the gripping element 2 with the ribs referred to andemploying a gripping element I which is provided With a substantiallysmooth inner face, the element 2 is constituted an anchor element whichgrips an electric cable with which the improved cable clamp is beingassociated when the clamp is being drawn to the clamping position by apull on the flexible cable I2, and during such pull on lthe flexiblecable the element I is drawn slidingly along the electric cable untilthe proper gripping action is obtained. In this manner the element I ofthe improved clamp is adjusted to its proper relation with respect totheelement 2 to obtain the desired maximum gripping action on the electricable engaged by the clamp. f

I claim: 1. A cable clamp comprising a pair of cablegripping elementsadapted for arrangement in contact with a cable, and exible meansadapted to be anchored to a support, said cable-gripping elements beingeach provided with a pair of transversely alined extensions located atopposite sides thereof at points adjacent to one end of thecable-gripping element and a pair of transversely alined extensionslocated at opposite sides thereof at points adjacent to the opposite endof the cable-gripping element, said cable-gripping elements beingdisposed in staggered relation when in their operative cable-grippingarrangement so that said extensions of each cablegripping element aredisposed in staggered relation with respect to said extensions of theasso ciated cable-gripping element, said flexible means having opposedportions located at opposite sides of the assembled cable-grippingelements each of which is extended longitudinally of the assembledcable-gripping elements at a single side thereof, said opposed portionsof said flexible means being extended symmetrically at opposite sides ofthe assembled cable-gripping elements and being arranged to alternatelyengage said extensions of said cable-gripping elements in such mannerthat tensional strain applied to said ilexible means will draw saidcable-gripping elements toward each other into gripping contact with thecable.

2. A cable clamp comprising a pair of cablegripping elements adapted forarrangement in contact with a cable, and flexible means adapted to beanchored to a support, said cable-gripping elements being each providedwith a pair of transversely alined eyes located at opposite sidesthereof at points adjacent to one end of the cablegripping element and apair of transversely alined eyes located at opposite sides thereof atpoints adjacent to the opposite end of the cable-gripping element, saidcable-gripping elements being disposed in staggered relation when intheir operative cable-gripping arrangement so that the eyes of eachcable-gripping element are disposed in staggered relation with respectto the eyes of the associated cable-gripping element, said flexiblemeans having opposed portions located at opposite sides of the assembledcable-gripping elements each of which is extended longitudinally of theassembled cable-gripping elements at a single side thereof, said opposedportions of said flexible means being extended symmetrically at oppositesides of the assembled cable-gripping elements and being arranged toalternately engage the eyes of said cable-gripping elements in suchmanner that tensional strain applied to said flexible means will drawsaid cable-gripping elements toward each other and into gripping Contactwith the cable.

3. A cable clamp comprising a pair of cablegripping elements formed fromsheet material into substantially V-shaped cross-sectional form andadapted for arrangement in contact With a cable, and exible meansadapted to be anchored toE a support, said cable-gripping elements beingeach provided with a. pair of integrally formed transversely alined eyeslocated at opposite sides thereof at points adjacent to one end of thecablegripping element and a pair of integrally formed transverselyalined eyes located at opposite sides thereof at points adjacent to theopposite end of the cable-gripping element, said cable-gripping elementsbeing disposed in staggered relation when in their operativecable-gripping arrangement so that the eyes of each cable-grippingelement are disposed in staggered relation with respect to the eyes ofthe associated cable-gripping element, said exible means having opposedportions located at opposite sides of the assembled cable-grippingelements each of which is eX- tended longitudinally of the assembledcablegripping elements -at a single side thereof, said opposed portionsof said flexible means being extended symmetrically at opposite sides ofthe assembled cable-gripping elements and being arranged to alternatelyengage the eyes of said cable-gripping elements in such manner thattensional strain applied to said flexible means Will draw saidcable-gripping elements toward each other and into gripping contact withthe cable.

OSCAR F. TALLMAN.

